Learn about this topic in these articles:

applications

chemical separation and purification

...migration resulting from a concentration difference on the two sides of the membrane. In ultrafiltration, this diffusion through the membrane is accelerated by means of a pressure difference. In
electrodialysis, an electrical field accelerates the migration.

colloidal-crystalloidal separation

...in particle size and diffusion rates between the colloidal and the crystalloidal constituents, and may be accelerated by heating or, if the crystalloids are charged, by applying an electric field (
electrodialysis). For medical applications,
see also artificial organ.

desalination

...osmosis is the more widely used, particularly for desalting brackish waters from inland seas. The salt content of brackish inland water, though undesirable, is considerably below that of seawater. Electrodialysis uses electrical potential to drive the positive and negative ions of dissolved salts through separate semipermeable synthetic membrane filters. This process leaves fresh water between...

ion-exchange membranes

Electrodialysis is a process somewhat similar to reverse osmosis. Ions are able to enter an ion-exchange membrane if they are simultaneously removed from it at the other side; the effect is the same as passing an electric current through the membrane. In practice,
electrodialysis is carried out by placing a cation-exchange membrane on one side of the solution to be desalted and an...

water supply systems treatment

Most salts dissolved in water exist in the form of electrically charged particles called ions. Half are positively charged (e.g., sodium), and half are negatively charged (e.g., chloride). In
electrodialysis an electric voltage is applied across the saline solution. This causes ions to migrate toward the electrode that has a charge opposite to that of their own. In a typical
electrodialysis...